New York · est. 2013Saturday, September 5, 2026
Inside Immigration

Plain-language guides to US immigration, asylum and USCIS procedure.

Forms · Status and documents

Travel documents and re-entry

Anyone who is not a citizen and wants to leave and come back needs to think about documents first. Permanent residents planning a long trip need a reentry permit. Refugees and asylees need a refugee travel document. People with pending applications need advance parole, and leaving without it usually abandons the case.

Typical time: 6.0 months for advance parole, 14.9 months for travel documents and 12.5 months for parole in place in FY 2026.Fees: $580 to $630 for most advance parole and reentry permit requests, $0 to $165 for a refugee travel document, $575 for carrier documentation, and $420 for Form N-470.

Who it is for. Permanent residents, refugees and asylees, and anyone with a pending adjustment, asylum, TPS or DACA case who needs to travel.

The forms, in order

5 forms
I-131N-470I-131ADS-117I-94
  1. 1

    Work out which document your situation needs

    I-131

    Who
    The traveller
    When
    Well before travel - reentry permits require biometrics in the United States
    Fee
    $0

    One form covers reentry permits, refugee travel documents, advance parole, and parole requests. The box you check in Part 1 sets the fee and the rules.

  2. 2

    File Form I-131 before leaving the country

    I-131

    Who
    The traveller
    When
    14.9 months national median for travel documents and 6.0 months for advance parole in FY 2026
    Fee
    $630 for a reentry permit; $0, $135 or $165 for a refugee travel document depending on status and age; $630 or $580 for advance parole

    Reentry permits require biometrics to be taken while you are still in the United States.

  3. 3

    Protect naturalisation eligibility on a long trip

    N-470

    Who
    The permanent resident
    When
    Before a year of absence is complete
    Fee
    $420

    A reentry permit protects the green card; Form N-470 protects continuous residence for naturalisation. Both are usually needed.

  4. 4

    If you are already stranded abroad, get carrier documentation or apply as a returning resident

    I-131ADS-117

    Who
    The permanent resident abroad
    When
    Before booking
    Fee
    $575 for the I-131A; $180 for the DS-117

    The DS-117 route applies when the absence has exceeded a year or a reentry permit's validity.

  5. 5

    Retrieve your I-94 after each entry

    I-94

    Who
    The nonimmigrant
    When
    After every admission
    Fee
    $0

    The admit-until date on the I-94, not the visa expiry date, is what governs how long you may stay.

Where it goes wrong

  • Leaving with a pending adjustment application and no advance parole abandons the application, with narrow exceptions for H and L status holders.
  • Advance parole is permission to travel, not permission to enter; CBP decides at the port of entry.
  • Travelling to the country you fled undermines an asylum claim or asylee status.
  • A reentry permit protects the card, not continuous residence for naturalisation.
  • Approved parole now triggers a non-waivable Public Law 119-21 parole fee at the port of entry.

What changed in 2025 and 2026

  • Public Law 119-21 created a non-waivable Immigration Parole Fee collected at the port of entry each time parole is sought.
  • Advance parole and travel document processing has stayed above six months since FY 2021, with travel documents at 14.9 months in FY 2026.
  • CBP has exercised its discretion at the port of entry more aggressively since 2025.

Related processes

Sources: uscis.gov · cbp.gov · egov.uscis.gov · uscis.gov · travel.state.gov